RI State Representative introduces bill to allow school nurses to administer nonsmokeable medical marijuana to authorized students

April 4, 2018

Rep. Scott A. Slater (D-Dist. 10, Providence) has introduced legislation (2018-H 8011) that would allow school nurses to administer nonsmokeable medical marijuana products to students with a medical marijuana prescription on school grounds. The legislation would be particularly helpful to children who suffer from extreme seizures in which medical marijuana products have shown to have great beneficial effects in stopping seizures.

“We have children suffering from absolutely debilitating diseases and conditions, such as seizures, that are being denied the medicine that allows them to function like normal children. Without the medicine that, for instance, almost completely eliminates seizures, these children cannot function in a school setting, stunting their educations and growth into productive adults. If a student has a medical marijuana prescription, they should be afforded the same rights and care that other students have when taking authorized prescription medicine in a school setting,” said Representative Slater.

The legislation also provides protection from criminal prosecution and limits civil liability for school nurses who administer nonsmokeable medical marijuana products to students. After administering the medicine to the authorized student, the school nurse would have to remove the medicine from school grounds.

A similar law has been introduced in Colorado. Currently in Colorado, a child’s primary caregiver is allowed to administer the medicine to their child in a school setting. The proposed law, if passed, would allow school nurses to administer the medicine to a child.